Iago's Villainy Act

Iago's Villainy Act

In the novel Othello by Shakespeare, Iago fits the definition of a villain perfectly because a villain is an evil character in a novel. He is not a believable character because from the beginning to the end, he demonstrates a villainy act. Iago is the type of character that doesn't care about anyone's feelings and would do anything to get what he wants and desire. Iago will manipulate anyone just to get revenge from those who anger him. Iago is known as a villain in this novel because he took his anger out on Othello for not appointing him as lieutenant, on Cassio for taking his place as lieutenant, and he also set up Desdemona to look like she was cheating on Othello.

Iago is mad at the fact that Othello choose Cassio over him to be lieutenant. He thought he desired that position and desires it. Iago would do anything to get his way, even if it means to be a bad and backstab his surroundings. He also wanted revenge because he believed Othello slept with his wife. Because of this he manipulated him all through out the novel. He tried to get him where he knows would hurt him the most. He knew the only thing that mattered to Othello the most was Desdemona so he did spiteful things to see him suffer and heartbroken. He put many false things in Othello's head and he actually believed it because he thought Iago was an honest man and would never lie to him. At the end of the novel, everything is revealed and Othello finds out Iago was lying the whole time.

Cassio angers Iago mainly because he took his place as lieutenant. Iago envy's Cassio so bad because he really wanted that position and since he didn't get it he's getting revenge. That position was basically everything Iago wanted and he's determined to get it one way or another and he doesn't care what he has to do to get it. He manipulated Othello in order to do this and it worked because Othello fired Cassio. Iago also tried everything he could to have Cassio dead. All of this drama and destruction was caused just for a position.

Iago set up Desdemona to look like she was cheating on Othello. He made Othello believe that she was cheating on him with Cassio and all these false information. At first Othello didn't think nothing of it but then he was suspicious because of what Iago had told him. All of a sudden anything Desdemona would do Iago will twist the story up and make it seem as if Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair. For example, Emilia found Desdemona's handkerchief and gave it to Iago since he wanted it so bad, he used that as evidence that Othello asked for to show that Desdemona was really cheating but she really wasn't. Othello was fooled by everything that Iago told him about Desdemona and Cassio. Othello believed every single thing that came out of Iago's mouth about the poor innocent Desdemona; she suffered and was killed by her